huge bomb ship in the Yemen

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Martin_B
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Re: huge bomb ship in the Yemen

Post by Martin_B » Tue Nov 22, 2022 2:33 am

Grumble wrote:
Tue Nov 22, 2022 12:19 am
Martin_B wrote:
Mon Nov 21, 2022 11:33 pm
Grumble wrote:
Mon Nov 21, 2022 4:14 pm
Presumably tankers are designed to allow offload of the oil with standardised kits available at many docks around the world.
The standardisation is with the connection equipment, and it's not as 'standard' as you might think - there are a few different international standards, and they don't all work with each other. Fortunately, there are adapter kits, or tankers have multiple connection types to work with most dock equipment.

Tankers have their own pumps to offload at docks. The dock doesn't usually vacuum siphon oil out of a tanker as vacuums are something you try and avoid (both the risk of vaporisation of the oil and potential for oxygen to enter). You always try and move flammable hydrocarbons at above atmospheric pressure if you can.

FSO (Floating Storage and Offtake) vessels, like the Safer also have their own pumps to offload to a tanker for the same reason. But the Safer has not been maintained and I doubt that the Safer's pumps will be operational after this time. They may be capable of being repaired, but if I were the owner of the offtake tanker in this case, I'd probably want to use my own equipment rather than rely on repairing pumps which may not have been used for several years.
I suspect the engineering is exactly as standardised as I think! Can’t even get a screw right without specifying which standard and size and thread count
You want a left-hand thread with that?
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Re: huge bomb ship in the Yemen

Post by plodder » Thu Dec 01, 2022 11:21 am

Grumble wrote:
Mon Nov 21, 2022 4:14 pm
Presumably tankers are designed to allow offload of the oil with standardised kits available at many docks around the world.
The article in the OP suggests that a spark could ignite the cargo due to a failure of onboard systems to pump inert gas, and I'd assumed this means that it'll be a very non-standard method of unloading the cargo.

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Re: huge bomb ship in the Yemen

Post by noggins » Thu Dec 01, 2022 12:30 pm

No you can pump inert gas in from the loading ship.

The challenge of this job is the sheer decrepitude of the ship, and the danger of just one f.cker with a gun or RPG.

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Re: huge bomb ship in the Yemen

Post by plodder » Thu Dec 01, 2022 12:47 pm

noggins wrote:
Thu Dec 01, 2022 12:30 pm
No you can pump inert gas in from the loading ship.

The challenge of this job is the sheer decrepitude of the ship, and the danger of just one f.cker with a gun or RPG.
without making a spark. but yeah, guns and mines too...

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Re: huge bomb ship in the Yemen

Post by Martin_B » Thu Dec 01, 2022 1:56 pm

plodder wrote:
Thu Dec 01, 2022 11:21 am
Grumble wrote:
Mon Nov 21, 2022 4:14 pm
Presumably tankers are designed to allow offload of the oil with standardised kits available at many docks around the world.
The article in the OP suggests that a spark could ignite the cargo due to a failure of onboard systems to pump inert gas, and I'd assumed this means that it'll be a very non-standard method of unloading the cargo.
It is a non-standard method of unloading the cargo, but not a particularly difficult one.

And if they've got the OK from the Houthis to do the unloading, then you'd hope that the guns and mines wouldn't also be a problem.
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Re: huge bomb ship in the Yemen

Post by EACLucifer » Thu Dec 01, 2022 2:08 pm

Martin_B wrote:
Thu Dec 01, 2022 1:56 pm
plodder wrote:
Thu Dec 01, 2022 11:21 am
Grumble wrote:
Mon Nov 21, 2022 4:14 pm
Presumably tankers are designed to allow offload of the oil with standardised kits available at many docks around the world.
The article in the OP suggests that a spark could ignite the cargo due to a failure of onboard systems to pump inert gas, and I'd assumed this means that it'll be a very non-standard method of unloading the cargo.
It is a non-standard method of unloading the cargo, but not a particularly difficult one.

And if they've got the OK from the Houthis to do the unloading, then you'd hope that the guns and mines wouldn't also be a problem.
The problem here of course is that the Houthis routinely violate ceasefires, so there word isn't good for much. You'd need some fairly effective countermeasures should they, say, try to take people for ransom.

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Re: huge bomb ship in the Yemen

Post by Martin_B » Thu Dec 01, 2022 8:27 pm

EACLucifer wrote:
Thu Dec 01, 2022 2:08 pm
Martin_B wrote:
Thu Dec 01, 2022 1:56 pm
plodder wrote:
Thu Dec 01, 2022 11:21 am


The article in the OP suggests that a spark could ignite the cargo due to a failure of onboard systems to pump inert gas, and I'd assumed this means that it'll be a very non-standard method of unloading the cargo.
It is a non-standard method of unloading the cargo, but not a particularly difficult one.

And if they've got the OK from the Houthis to do the unloading, then you'd hope that the guns and mines wouldn't also be a problem.
The problem here of course is that the Houthis routinely violate ceasefires, so there word isn't good for much. You'd need some fairly effective countermeasures should they, say, try to take people for ransom.
Yes, which is why I previously suggested that the recovery tanker should come with a protective warship of some kind!
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Re: huge bomb ship in the Yemen

Post by Woodchopper » Fri Mar 10, 2023 12:10 pm

The UN has purchased a huge ship that it hopes will prevent an environmental catastrophe off the coast of Yemen.

For years, more than a million barrels of crude oil have been sitting on a decaying supertanker in the Red Sea.

There are fears the vessel could soon break apart or explode, risking one of the worst oil spills in recent memory.

But on Thursday, the UN said it had purchased a crude carrier that would head to Yemen and remove the oil from the stricken ship.

"The purchase of this suitable vessel... marks the beginning of the operational phase of the plan to safely remove the oil and avoid the risk of an environmental and humanitarian disaster," Achim Steiner from the UN Development Programme (UNDP) said, adding that it was a "major breakthrough".

A UNDP statement said the ship - which it purchased from major tanker company Euronav - was undergoing routine maintenance in China and would arrive for the operation in early May.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-64904985

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Re: huge bomb ship in the Yemen

Post by Al Capone Junior » Thu Mar 16, 2023 6:09 pm

I first read about the safer about a year ago. Nothing has changed, other than the chance of catastrophe going up. Color me not surprised at all

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Re: huge bomb ship in the Yemen

Post by TimW » Fri Apr 21, 2023 7:30 pm

The Dutch company Boskalis have been contracted to transfer the oil to the Nautica, which is on its way from China.
https://www.energyvoice.com/oilandgas/m ... fer-yemen/
https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/de ... el:NAUTICA

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Re: huge bomb ship in the Yemen

Post by EACLucifer » Fri Apr 21, 2023 8:09 pm

Al Capone Junior wrote:
Thu Mar 16, 2023 6:09 pm
I first read about the safer about a year ago. Nothing has changed, other than the chance of catastrophe going up. Color me not surprised at all
A fair bit has changed, actually - last time I checked a tanker was being fitted out, now seems she's under way, and contractors are organised to carry out the work.

It's not quick, but nothing's ever quick when you need to work around the safety implications of a murderous Iranian-backed militia that likes targetting oil infrastructure in addition to their usual modus operandi of starving people.

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Re: huge bomb ship in the Yemen

Post by Al Capone Junior » Mon May 29, 2023 11:23 pm

EACLucifer wrote:
Fri Apr 21, 2023 8:09 pm
Al Capone Junior wrote:
Thu Mar 16, 2023 6:09 pm
I first read about the safer about a year ago. Nothing has changed, other than the chance of catastrophe going up. Color me not surprised at all
A fair bit has changed, actually - last time I checked a tanker was being fitted out, now seems she's under way, and contractors are organised to carry out the work.

It's not quick, but nothing's ever quick when you need to work around the safety implications of a murderous Iranian-backed militia that likes targetting oil infrastructure in addition to their usual modus operandi of starving people.
Someone once asked " do you ever get the feeling that we're just really smart monkeys?"

Perhaps. But then monkeys dont get themselves into messes that are this bad.

It would be nice to read that the oil had been safely removed and the ship could now be scrapped without fear of a catastrophe on par with the Exxon valdez or worse

And btw, has anyone actually looked at the marine charts regarding the valdez? You'd have to be drunk at the wheel to get that f.cking far off course. Especially with that big wide zone of 'good to go' in the middle of the channel. Seriously, even a somewhat drunk sailor worth his weight in bowline hitches should have easily prevented the boat from winding up there :roll:

Seriously. Monkeys just wouldn't do anything :roll: that stupid.

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Re: huge bomb ship in the Yemen

Post by Martin_B » Mon May 29, 2023 11:43 pm

Al Capone Junior wrote:
Mon May 29, 2023 11:23 pm
EACLucifer wrote:
Fri Apr 21, 2023 8:09 pm
Al Capone Junior wrote:
Thu Mar 16, 2023 6:09 pm
I first read about the safer about a year ago. Nothing has changed, other than the chance of catastrophe going up. Color me not surprised at all
A fair bit has changed, actually - last time I checked a tanker was being fitted out, now seems she's under way, and contractors are organised to carry out the work.

It's not quick, but nothing's ever quick when you need to work around the safety implications of a murderous Iranian-backed militia that likes targetting oil infrastructure in addition to their usual modus operandi of starving people.
Someone once asked " do you ever get the feeling that we're just really smart monkeys?"

Perhaps. But then monkeys dont get themselves into messes that are this bad.

It would be nice to read that the oil had been safely removed and the ship could now be scrapped without fear of a catastrophe on par with the Exxon valdez or worse

And btw, has anyone actually looked at the marine charts regarding the valdez? You'd have to be drunk at the wheel to get that f.cking far off course. Especially with that big wide zone of 'good to go' in the middle of the channel. Seriously, even a somewhat drunk sailor worth his weight in bowline hitches should have easily prevented the boat from winding up there :roll:

Seriously. Monkeys just wouldn't do anything :roll: that stupid.
I may be remembering this incorrectly, but didn't the captain of the Costa Concordia deliberately steer the boat close to the shore; not because he wanted his passengers to get a good look at the coastline, but because he wanted people on land to see the boat close-up?
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Re: huge bomb ship in the Yemen

Post by Woodchopper » Tue May 30, 2023 7:47 am

Martin_B wrote:
Mon May 29, 2023 11:43 pm
Al Capone Junior wrote:
Mon May 29, 2023 11:23 pm
EACLucifer wrote:
Fri Apr 21, 2023 8:09 pm


A fair bit has changed, actually - last time I checked a tanker was being fitted out, now seems she's under way, and contractors are organised to carry out the work.

It's not quick, but nothing's ever quick when you need to work around the safety implications of a murderous Iranian-backed militia that likes targetting oil infrastructure in addition to their usual modus operandi of starving people.
Someone once asked " do you ever get the feeling that we're just really smart monkeys?"

Perhaps. But then monkeys dont get themselves into messes that are this bad.

It would be nice to read that the oil had been safely removed and the ship could now be scrapped without fear of a catastrophe on par with the Exxon valdez or worse

And btw, has anyone actually looked at the marine charts regarding the valdez? You'd have to be drunk at the wheel to get that f.cking far off course. Especially with that big wide zone of 'good to go' in the middle of the channel. Seriously, even a somewhat drunk sailor worth his weight in bowline hitches should have easily prevented the boat from winding up there :roll:

Seriously. Monkeys just wouldn't do anything :roll: that stupid.
I may be remembering this incorrectly, but didn't the captain of the Costa Concordia deliberately steer the boat close to the shore; not because he wanted his passengers to get a good look at the coastline, but because he wanted people on land to see the boat close-up?
That’s correct. I looked on the Wiki and it’s worse. The captain had turned off the alarms on the computer navigation system and was navigating by sight. He may also have been trying to impress his girlfriend who was on the bridge at the time.

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Re: huge bomb ship in the Yemen

Post by Turdly » Tue May 30, 2023 9:50 am

Woodchopper wrote:
Tue May 30, 2023 7:47 am
That’s correct. I looked on the Wiki and it’s worse. The captain had turned off the alarms on the computer navigation system and was navigating by sight. He may also have been trying to impress his girlfriend who was on the bridge at the time.
Not to defend the captain (he abandoned his post so not worthy of defense), but I was at a talk recently where the Costa Concordia was discussed. I can't find sources at the moment but these types of maneuvers were common and welcomed by the islands with letters sent by local politicians to cruise companies thanking them for the spectacle. Companies would also know that their boats were routinely deviating from the planned course as the whole thing is GPS tracked. So Schettino was at fault, but there was a whole range of failings that allowed him to do what he did.
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Re: huge bomb ship in the Yemen

Post by Fishnut » Tue May 30, 2023 10:40 am

Turdly wrote:
Tue May 30, 2023 9:50 am
...So Schettino was at fault, but there was a whole range of failings that allowed him to do what he did.
This is so often the case.
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Re: huge bomb ship in the Yemen

Post by TimW » Wed May 31, 2023 11:04 am

The salvage team have headed for the site:
https://www.tradewindsnews.com/tankers/ ... -1-1458059

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Re: huge bomb ship in the Yemen

Post by TimW » Fri Jun 02, 2023 7:23 am

The salvage team have a blog at https://boskalis.com/safer
Tuesday 30 May - Boskalis’ multipurpose support vessel Ndeavor reaches location of the FSO Safer

Today at 11:00 CET, Boskalis’ multipurpose support vessel Ndeavor reached the location of the FSO Safer in Yemen. After berthing the vessel alongside the Safer the next phase of the salvage operation will commence, which consists of taking the following precautionary measures by the salvage team:

Skilled experts will take different gas measurements to assess the presence and levels of gasses inside the vessel prior to declaring it “safe to access” for planned salvage activities
Further (visual) inspections whilst wearing specialized protective gear will be conducted on board the FSO Safer, including the pump and engine rooms as part of the overall condition assessment.
Loading of mobile inert gas generators to fill the cargo tanks with inert gas and create a safe tank environment.
The condition of the cargo will be assessed to finetune the transfer operation.
The cargo and inert gas lines, valves and manifolds will be inspected and subject to the outcome, the salvage plan can be refined.
An inspection of the state of the mooring arrangements.
Underwater inspections will be executed where necessary.

Photos and video of the Ndeavor reaching the location of the FSO Safer.

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Re: huge bomb ship in the Yemen

Post by Woodchopper » Tue Jul 11, 2023 11:19 am

Oil transfer from FSO Safer set to start next week
https://splash247.com/oil-transfer-from ... next-week/

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Re: huge bomb ship in the Yemen

Post by Fishnut » Tue Jul 11, 2023 11:28 am

Woodchopper wrote:
Tue Jul 11, 2023 11:19 am
Oil transfer from FSO Safer set to start next week
https://splash247.com/oil-transfer-from ... next-week/
Fantastic news!

I really hope it all goes well
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Re: huge bomb ship in the Yemen

Post by Al Capone Junior » Sun Jul 30, 2023 5:44 pm

https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/fso- ... l-underway
Seems it's getting done after all. Which is fantastic

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Re: huge bomb ship in the Yemen

Post by Fishnut » Sat Aug 12, 2023 4:17 pm

(Most of) the oil has been removed!
The transfer of more than 1 million barrels of oil from an ageing tanker moored off the coast of war-torn Yemen has been completed, avoiding an environmental disaster, the UN has said...

“As much of the 1.14m barrels has been extracted as possible,” the UN statement said. “However, less than 2% of the original oil cargo remains mixed in with sediment that will be removed during the final cleaning of the Safer.”
It's not completely over as that last 2% still needs removing and something needs to be done with the ship. They still need $22 million to fill the funding gap and get the job completed but things are a hell of a lot safer than they were a couple of months ago.
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Re: huge bomb ship in the Yemen

Post by Martin_B » Sat Aug 12, 2023 11:42 pm

Fishnut wrote:
Sat Aug 12, 2023 4:17 pm
(Most of) the oil has been removed!
The transfer of more than 1 million barrels of oil from an ageing tanker moored off the coast of war-torn Yemen has been completed, avoiding an environmental disaster, the UN has said...

“As much of the 1.14m barrels has been extracted as possible,” the UN statement said. “However, less than 2% of the original oil cargo remains mixed in with sediment that will be removed during the final cleaning of the Safer.”
It's not completely over as that last 2% still needs removing and something needs to be done with the ship. They still need $22 million to fill the funding gap and get the job completed but things are a hell of a lot safer than they were a couple of months ago.
That 2% remaining will be the heavy stuff; no chance of a boom from it, but could create a nasty slick if the Safer breaks up during towing, which is certainly a possibility for a vessel which hasn't moved for nearly 40 years and had almost no maintenance for the last 10 or so.
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Re: huge bomb ship in the Yemen

Post by Al Capone Junior » Sun Aug 13, 2023 11:37 pm


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Re: huge bomb ship in the Yemen

Post by Al Capone Junior » Sun Aug 13, 2023 11:48 pm

Al Capone Junior wrote:
Sun Aug 13, 2023 11:37 pm
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zstGRsiOYck

This just in from Sal...
Damn he's good. Summarized it with tons of details and no pointless drama

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